Introduction

In this module, we take a brief look back at how our urban regions got to be what they are today. These readings form a necessary foundation for understanding what we see around us, and why we see them. We’re going to read three pieces.

Readings

First, from the e-book Urban Literacy: Learning to Read the City Around You, please read the section on Historical Urban Development Patterns in Chapter 3. It mixes history with geography and has a good overview of both industrialization and colonization.

The real detail of this module comes in our second reading. From the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History, please read Industrialization and Urbanization in the United States, 1880-1929. This reading covers the building blocks of the industrial revolution in the U.S. What had to be in place for industrialism to take root here, and also, what were the innovations that cemented its impact?

Finally, we read a piece that appeared (way back) in 2000, when many were thinking about the century to come and the century that was ending. Please read the beginning of the article and the past influences^[1]. Hold off on the future influences — we’ll cover those later.